Splugorth
The Splugorth are an evil Lovecraftian-like inter-dimensional race of conquerors in the Palladium Rifts Megaverse roleplaying universe. Beings who are malevolent and sadistic, enslavers and manipulators. Biology Splugorth have a horrifying Lovecraftian form. It's a slime covered lumpy hump with a huge cyclopean eye protected by spines. Coming out of it are up to a dozen tentacles, some of which have fanged mouths at the ends. Its cyclopean eye is able to rotate all around. The beings are over a dozen ft tall and over 70 ft in diameter. It feeds on psionic energies or meat, though it would be weakened if it relies on the latter. Powers The race has a wide variety of powers and abilities. Longevity is one as in living for hundreds of millennia, the average age of Splugorth being over 100,000 years. They have super strength and incredible regeneration, being able to survive a 19 Megaton nuke (though it would be seriously wounded). It is a very powerful psionic and is able to use magic. Splugorth is able to send fragments of their lifeforce into other dimensions where they possess hosts and are in communication with said fragments. A weakness they have is in relation to silver and magical weapons, which inflict far more damage on a Splugorth that would a steel blade, a bullet or explosive, or an energy cannon. Activities The Splugorth are formidable tacticians and strategists due to eons of experience. Master of manipulation who have conquered worlds by getting others to do it for them. They are involved in all types of commerce, selling everything from weapons to slaves, magical items to technology, anything that will make them a profit. Due to the fact that slaves are profitable and they enjoy the suffering of others, they sent out their minions on slave raids and their slave markets are famous in the cosmos. Being interdimensional conquerors, their dominions may span many realities. A Splugorth may have only a trading post on a world or rule the whole plant. It may rule only a few worlds in a dimension or a whole galaxy. Its empire may exist in only one dimension or extend across dozens of universes. Since they can live for over 100 millennia, they are patient conquerors whose plans of conquest can extend years or centuries. Earth In the post-cataclysmic Earth, hundreds of years in the future magic have returned in all its fantastic glory. The planet is full of humans, bio-engineered beastmen, mutates, cyborgs, alien races, demons, mythical creatures, and Eldritch Abominations. One of the Splugorth by the name of Splynncryth has established a stronghold on Earth. When magic returned so did the lost continent of Atlantis and it is in his possession, the original inhabitants scattered across the cosmos. It is an empire of savagery, cruelty, sadism, greed, and brutality. The largest slave market on Earth is on the continent and Splugorth sends out raiding parties throughout the Atlantic Ocean to bring more slaves. It's an interdimensional trading outpost where visitors from other dimensions come to buy and sell their goods. Gladiatorial games are a feature on this island continent. Minion Races Numerous races serve the Splugorth, of which some are willing and others were enslaved. Among the willing minions are a couple races (e.g. Kittani and Metztla) who have pledged their allegiance to the Splugorth for a variety of reasons, that range from gratitude at being saved from annihilation to enlisting because of the opportunities available while in their service. The minion races vary in abilities, from psionically capable species to those whose strength is in magic to servitor races that have the spacefaring technology. Joining these minion races in service to the Splugorth are power hungry and/or evil individuals who flock to the banner of the Splugorth. Known minion races of the Splugorth; High Lords Outnumber the Splugorths by the hundreds of thousands. They have a symbiotic relationship with Splugorth, as a part of their power comes directly from their masters. High Lords have superhuman strength, are psionic, and can use magic. They are the generals, scientists, governors, advisers, healers, wizards, protectors, and alchemists of the Splugorth empire. *'Conservators': High Lords who have volunteered to become bio-wizard borgs. Only a few million exist in the Splugorth empire. In addition to having the racial abilities of a High Lord, they have been enhanced with bio-wizard armor and weapons. Conservators enjoy hunting and killing the enemies of the Splugorth, and any slaves that run away. Kydians (Overlords) The Kydians are a humanoid race who make up the majority of the Splugorth war machine and a significant part of the minion population. Originally their race suffered was dying due to overpopulation, and then 53,000 years ago they agreed to serve the Splugorth if they rescued them from the dying world. They have loyally served the Splugorth ever since, enjoying the adventure and combat of exploring the Megaverse and conquering worlds for their masters. Kydians are a race with superhuman strength and can be up to 10 ft tall. *'Powerlords': Kydians who have undergone augmentation via bio-wizardry becoming bio-borgs. Slavers Demonic humanoids who perform slaver raids on sentient races throughout the Megaverse. Predators and hunters who crave blood, especially that of humanoids. They can be up to 12 ft tall, have an upper torso with up to 8 tentacles, a large head with a huge fang-filled mouth, and a serpentine lower torso. The race is telepathic and possesses superhuman strength. Kittani A brilliant spacefaring race of conquerors and inventors, who had conquered numerous worlds when they encountered the Mechanoids, a cybernetic race who aimed to exterminate all humanoid life. They were defeated and nearly annihilated until the last remaining Kittani armada full of refugees was discovered by the Splugorth who saved them from annihilation by helping them escape their home dimension. After which they formed an alliance with the Splugorth and have loyally served them for 38,000 years. Kittani have superhuman strength and are psionic. Metztla It's a monstrous race who are diabolical, ugly, and huge. To them, humanoids and other weaker life forms are nothing but food and slaves. They have a hive-like society that is orderly and made up of castes. The higher castes have individuality and therefore are able to do what they want as long as it does not pose a threat to the community. The lower castes are drones, workers and soldiers. The queen lays the eggs and manages those in the hive, and is x3 the size of those of her caste, being built into the structure itself. It's a race with a variety of forms and abilities depending on the caste. They all are psionic and are super strong. The weakest can take x5 as much damage as a late 20th-century tank and the strongest can survive a direct hit by an 800 kiloton nuke (though it will be seriously wounded). When it comes to the upper castes, most have either multiple tentacles or prehensile insect-like limbs while the lower caste drones have legs. Upper caste have an average lifespan ranging from 3000–6000 years, while for the lower cast drones its 3400–5600 years. The upper caste range in size from 8–12 ft tall to 20–30 ft tall, and 8 ft long to 50 ft long, while the lower caste drones range from 12–20 ft tall to 20–26 ft tall and 45 ft long to 50 ft long. Sunaj Human-like, renegade clan of Atlanteans which has temporarily allied itself with the Splugorth and seek the extermination of the other Atlantean clans. Unlike other Atlanteans they desire to wage war and conquer others. Like all Atlanteans they are psionic and being assassins they use magical tattoos. Altarains (Blind Warrior Women) A warrior race of women that were conquered and enslaved by the Splugorths over 2,000 years ago. They are superb fighters who are psionic, have enhanced senses, are remarkably well conditioned physically, and have exceptional martial art skills. Altarains have been conditioned and brainwashed to be willing slaves, though up to a fourth hate being slaves and will escape the first chance they get. It's a sterile race which reproduces via cloning technology or by going into a state of meditation, that envelops the Altarain in ectoplasm, and creates a clone (which can be done only every 12 years). Foreign Relations Being a race of conquerors and businessmen, the Splugorth have a wide variety of enemies and some allies. In the Megaversal stage, their rivals at conquest include the Zllyphan and the Vampire Intelligences. When it comes to trans-dimensional commerce among their main competitors are the Soul Worms and Naruni Enterprises. Within the Three Galaxies, they are geopolitical rivals of the democratic Consortium of Civilized Worlds, the United Worlds of Warlock, and the militarist expansionist Trans-Galactic Empire. Those whom have been known to ally with the Splugorth include pirates, demons, slave traders, warlords, gargoyles, monsters, and various other evil, sadistic, power hungry, or greedy races or individuals. Technology To prevent their servants from overthrowing their masters or becoming a threat to their race, the Splugorth keep their technological and magical level of development limited. The Splugorth may individually own fleets that number in the 100s or 1000s of starships, used by their servitor races. Fleets used for slave-raiding expeditions and the conquest of worlds. Their most powerful warship is the mile-long Taskmaster Carrier which is armed with a Mass Driver. When used on a planet the Mass Driver can inflict damage comparable to a 66 Megaton nuke. In space combat, a volley from the Mass Driver and the fusion beam cannons is comparable to a 3 Megaton nuke. Taskmaster Carriers are capable of surviving a 20 Megaton nuke. Among such technologies in the possession of the Splugorth forces; *FTL-capable Starships *Interstellar Warships (up to a mile long) *Power Armor *Mecha *Transformable Vehicles *Directed Energy Weapons (Fusion Beam, Particle Beam, Ion, Plasma, & Laser Pulse) *Rail Guns (Mass Drivers, Gravity Wave Cannons, & Gauss Cannons) *Vibro-Blades *Energy Blades (Plasma) *Bio-Wizard Borgs (combine magic and technology) Gallery Images Minions_of_Splugorth_(Rifts_World_Book,_Atlantis).png|Minions of Splugorth (Rifts World Book, Atlantis) Splugorth_(2011).jpg|Splugorth (2011 Palladium Books) Splugorth_High_Lord_(Rifts_World_Book,_Atlantis).png|High Lord (Rifts World Book, Atlantis) Splugorth_Kydian_(Rifts_World_Book,_Atlantis).png|Kydian Powerlord (Rifts World Book, Atlantis) Splugorth_Slaver_Barge_(Rifts_Core_Rulebook).jpg|Slaver and Blind Warrior Women (Rifts Core Rulebook) Metztla_(Rifts_World_Book,_Atlantis).png|Metztla (Rifts World Book, Atlantis) Kittani_(Rifts_World_Book,_Atlantis).png|Kittani in power armor (Rifts World Book, Atlantis) Kittani,_Serpent_Power_Armor_(Rifts_World_Book,_Atlantis).png|Kittani Serpent Power Armor Kittani,_Taskmaster-Class_Carrier_(Rifts_Dimension_Book,_Fleets_of_the_Three_Galaxies).png|Kittani Taskmaster-Class Carrier (Rifts Dimension Book, Fleets of the Three Galaxies) Category:Vampires Category:Hostile Species Category:Paranormal Category:Immortals Category:Aliens Category:Lovecraftian Horrors Category:Imperialists Category:Tyrants Category:Monsters Category:Arrogant Category:Hegemony Category:Slaver Category:Businessmen Category:Strategic Category:Mastermind Category:Greedy Category:Military Category:Successful Category:Weapons Dealer Category:Psychics Category:Magic Category:Power Hungry Category:Lawful Evil Category:Science Fantasy Villains Category:Gamebooks Villains Category:Book Villains Category:Corrupting Influence